Kashmir unrest: Govt under attack in Lok Sabha

The Modi government and PDP-BJP dispensation of Jammu and Kashmir today came under attack in the Lok Sabha over the unrest in the Valley, with opposition alleging their failure to address the situation and pressing for a political solution.
As the House took up a discussion on the ongoing trouble in Kashmir, various parties demanded sending an all-party delegation to the Valley even as Anurag Thakur, speaking on behalf of the ruling BJP, said every political party should come together and help in dealing with such situations.
Initiating the debate, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said over the last two years, since the BJP government came to power at the Centre, the situation in the Valley has "deteriorated" and has become "disappointing".

Alleging failure on part of the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government, he said, "The work done by our government in the last 10 years was undone by this government. They see everything from the rear mirror. BJP-PDP has shunned all principles...We have to heal the wounds with humanity."
The government is claiming that it is moving in ever sector but reality is different.
"This government has miserably failed to restore peace in the valley. There is an environment of insecurity and fear ....44 people have died and 3140, half of them security personnel, are wounded and this government puts the onus on the state....I would like to ask questions. How many more deaths will happen? When they will get up from sleep," he said.

Scindia said the people of Kashmir are facing huge problems as there is curfew since the last 12 days.

Citing the case of a boy and a girl who had allegedly
gone blind due to pellet gun use by security forces, Scindia said "this government uses lethal weapons against innocent people."
While attacking the government, the Congress leader alleged that there was an "environment of communalism" and "intolerance" in the country and referred to incidents like Dadri lynching and Hyderabad University issue.
He said people making non-responsible statements and the government is not taking any action against them.
The Congress leader said Pakistan "is guilty" for this situation in Kashmir but "one should also introspect if there are some shortcomings in us also."

He said Modi has condoled the attacks in other parts of the world but never said even a single word on Kashmir.
He said the government should secure the country's borders. "I request this govenment. Secure our borders. Secure our people before it gets too late. Act and act with a plan," he said.
He said after returning from Africa visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called a high level meeting but the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister was not present.
He questioned whether this was the "cooperative federalism" that this government keeps talking about.
The UPA government had taken several steps and worked with all the stakeholders to maintain the peaceful environment and boost development of Kashmir but since this government came into the power, the GDP of the valley has declined by 7 per cent.

He said incidents of infiltration and casuality of soldiers is on the rise and this government is behaving like a "silent spectator".
During the discussion, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju intervened and said the Congress leader should not mislead the House with "wrong facts".
Scindia said the Pakistan policy of this government is "surprising".
Scindia noted that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
has given call for observing 'black day' and described Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen militant killed in encounter, as a "martyr".
On the other hand, "our foreign ministry is only saying that please do not give such wrong statements. What can be more unfortunate than this? ...The foreign policy of this government has been failed completely," he said.

This government failed on five issues including controlling terorists' activities, he said.
The Congress leader said an all-party delegation should be sent to Kashmir.
BJP member Anurag Thakur, while acknowledging that situation in Jammu and Kashmir is "grave" and "special, said it is very easy to level allegations.
He said every political party should come together and help in dealing with these situations. "We have to work together to create a conducive environment in the state," he said.
Referring to demands by opposition parties for holding dialogue, Thakur wondered with whom talks could be held as it appears that the current bout of mob violence is leadersless.

He said if separatist Hurriyat Conference was in control, it should help in restoring peace which is the first priority.
The BJP leader advised those indulging in mob violence to think about their poor Kashmiri brethren, mainly those depending on daily earnings, whose livelihood has been affected badly due to the unrest.
He criticised the special status to the state and raised questions with regard to reasons for emergence of the current unrest in the state.
Citing data, he said the terrorist violence has decreased to 222 in 2014 from 1990 in 2005 and infiltration cases reduced to 222 in 2014 from 557 in 2005.

"I congratulate both this and the previous government for this and also congratulate the soldiers who are securing our borders," Thakur said.
About stone-pelting, he said it was not a new phenomena as it had happened even as back as in 1980s. In 2010, he said, stone-pelting incidents took place for three consecutive months.
Responding to opposition attack over use of pellet guns, he said these weapons had been used for the first time during violence in 2010 when the state was ruled by National Conference and UPA was in power at the Centre.
"It is this government which has announced several steps to boost growth and development in the state," he said adding the Prime Minister announced new stadium, power projects, medical collges, AIIMS and IIMs.

"The PDP-BJP government will do development in six years of its tenure," Thakur said, adding, however, that for that the state needs to have peace.
Thakur said Pakistan will never get success in Kashmir
and the state is "ours and it will always be ours".
The government is dealing with Pakistan and "when time comes, we will catch the culprit by his collar," he said.
He asked the Home Minister to respond on issues like why there is so much of propaganda in Kashmir.
Turning to the media, he said "you may criticise the Prime Minister, his government, its policies but do not make a hero out of a terrorist. Do not glorify them as it will hurt India".

He said if Burhan Wani was active on social media, why the inteligence agencies were not able to track him.
Tathagata Satpathy (BJD) attacked the government over "lack" of a Kashmir policy and said not every Kashmiri could be viewed from the prism of separatists or terrorists. He also blamed the BJP and the Congress for not addressing the issue in a systematic for over the years.
He urged the government to deal the issue with "economic empowerment" and not by "military entrenchment".
With regard to demands for dialogue, the BJD MP said, "Whom will you talk to? Can you draw an 18 or a 20 year-old youth with a stone in his hand over the discussion table. Kashmir has been on boil for the last 10 years. The outrage against the security forces cannot be ignored."
He said, "Manmohan Singh was considered as a weak link, powerless, but he had schemes, a policy like demilitarisation of certain areas. History will tell whether he was right or wrong. But he at least had a policy. The present government does not have a policy."
He questioned how many youth from the valley have been given education loan over the past two years.
With more than 2 lakh people attending the funeral of the Hizbul militant, Satpathy said today the Kashmiri youth are seeing a Burhan Wani as a hero as the subsequent governments failed to create any other heroes.
He said instead of giving solace to youth they are being dealt with "draconian" special powers of the law.
"What does the youth see everyday? The BSF, the CRPF and the army. They ask for 'Azaadi' (freedom), but that azaadi may not be from India, it may be from poverty, it could be for having good roads, drinking water and electricity. They could be asking for an azaadi from the threat that exists to their mothers, sisters children."
Satpathy said there is deep-rooted frustration with the system among the Kashmiris and terrorism has become a business of billions of dollars.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav blamed the PDP government in the state and the Centre for the current crisis and advocated political dialogue to resolve the issue.
"Everything cannot be left to the security forces," he said, adding the entire country is with the government over the Kashmir issue, and if the need arises leaders of all political parties are together on the issue.
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Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena) demanded scrapping of Article 370 of the Indian Constiution that gives special powers to the state.
He said it gives the state special powers to the state including having a separate Consititution and a flag, which in turn gives rise to the feelings of secession.
He said the government should look at the root cause of the disease in dealing with the Kashmir issue.
Sawant said compassion cannot be a one-way thing and even the people of the state should understand it.
"Don't the parents of those kids, who are on the roads pelting stones, care for their children? When Kashmir was affected by the floods, it was the same army under the same government that went to the rescue of the people. We did not do any favour. We did it because it our duty and responsibility," the Shiv Sena leader said.
He also attacked Pakistan for interfering in the matters of the state by observing black day in an event of death of Burhan Wani.
"We should act as Mossad (Israeli spy agency) and send forces to kill Hafeez Saeed so that Pakistan does not cast its evil eye on the nation. America never went to the United Nations asking for Osama Bin Laden. They went inside and killed him," he said, urging the government to stop talks with Pakistan and initiatives like Samjhauta Express.
Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) blamed the sucessive governments for failures on the Kashmir issue, saying it was "sheer mishandling of the situation by the Centre".
Banerjee said his party doesn't oppose the central forces, but opposes the killing of innocent people. He said not a single Kashmiri should be killed by the armed forces.
Thota Narasimham (TDP) said all political parties should
support the central government in promoting national integration.
He underlined the need for revisiting Article 370 of the Constitution which provides special status to Kashmir.
Stressing that Kashmir should not be made a political issue, Boora Narsaiah Goud (TRS) said the large number of silent Kashmiris believe in democratic values.
Goud further said that the government should deal with sensitivity with Kashmiri youth and sternly with outsiders who trying to create trouble in the Valley.
Mohammed Salim (CPI-M) said the government should try not to deal with the Kashmir issue with "brutal and disproportionate" force.
The government should take political initiative to deal with the Kashmir issue, he said, adding the need of the hour was to call an all-party meeting to discuss the problem.
Varaprasad Rao Velagapalli (YSRCP) said the government should come out with a flawless policy to deal with the problem of Kashmir.
The government, he added, should not refrain from talking to separatists for promoting peace.
Tariq Anwar (NCP) underlined the need for a new political initiative to calm down Kashmir.
Badruddin Ajmal (AIDUF) also suggested that all-party
delegation, led by Home Minister, should visit Kashmir and analyse the situation.
He said India should give a befitting reply to Pakistan for interfering in Kashmir affairs.
Asaduddin Owaisi (MIM) said Pakistan has no right to interfere in India's internal matters even as he sought to know from the government if it considers Kashmiris as first class citizens.
Owaisi sought to know from government its policies and what it is doing to stop youth from joining the separatist group.
Stating that the BJP-PDP's Agenda of Alliane' had said the government would remove AFSPA from Kashmir, but it did not take any policy initiative in that direction.
"This Rambo and James Bond approach of the government will not work. Instead you should act like a statesman," Owaisi said, as he demanded that an all party delegation visit Kashmir and a Commission of Inquiry on Kashmir issue.
Mohammed Basheer (IUML) alleged that there is acute anarchy in Kashmir and accused that government has failed miserably in managing the situation. He demanded that AFSPA should be scrapped.